More businesses to gain from energy efficiency

July 08, 2013

Taking on greater energy saving measures around any building is one way of making sure your utility bills shrink - something that's especially important as electricity prices are currently at rather challenging levels.

While energy efficiency measures can help anyone or any business, fruit growers are set to be the latest to benefit them. On July 5, minister for resources and energy Gary Gray announced the 'Watts in Your Business' project, which is an energy efficiency project for Australia's temperate fruit sector.

The program is funded by the government's Energy Efficiency Information Grants (EEIG) program. This initiative is a $40 million competitive grants program, designed to assist industry associations as well as non-profits to provide practical and customised information on energy efficiency to small and medium sized businesses, and community organisations. The money for the grant is garnered from the carbon price, which high-polluting businesses and industry players pay for their greenhouse gas emissions.

Trusted sources of information such as peak industry bodies help to create information and tools which will engage the fruit growers with simple and practical tips, which will not be too time-consuming for the fast-paced industry.

'Watts in Your Business' is slated to help around 2,600 apple, pear, summer fruit and cherry growers to save on their energy bills and therefore improve their profitability and competitiveness.

"Using energy audits, workshops, seminars, case studies and hands-on demonstrations, this project sees government, business and industry working together to understand the benefits energy efficiency can bring to small business," said My Gray.

"Through the EEIG program, we are engaging industry associations and non-profit organisations that have the networks and experience to help small and medium businesses from a range of sectors make informed decisions about energy efficiency."

It is believed the project has the ability to help these fruit growers up to 20 per cent on their energy bills - but fruit growers aren't the only ones making gains from these savings.